Part 15b
'Buffy? Sorry if I'm interrupting but, Alex wants to come down and see Spike.' Willow sent her thoughts downstairs to Buffy, not knowing the situation.
'Just a minute, Will'
"There is always something we could do." Buffy looked at Spike. "He needs to heal, and if his blood isn't going to do the trick then-"
Her eyes drifted down to the heavy gauze she put over Spike's wound. It was already soaked with blood. She thought of all the blood that had pooled around him in the backyard, the blood that soaked his coat, the blood that made the green grass red. So much blood. Buffy looked back into Spike's eyes, and she saw the dazed look disappear, as if he read her thoughts.
"No, Buffy, I won't, I'm not doing it."
"Buffy, we don't know what it could do." Giles added, already knowing what was on her mind. "Suppose it will speed the healing process, close the wound up, stop the blood loss. But what if that's all it can do. Not to mention, you are with child. I don't mean..." Giles left his sentence hanging.
"Buffy, we can't risk it. We just won't, okay?" Spike said softly, weakly.
"I know this isn't my place to say, but I agree. It might not even help."
Buffy quickly met the statement with a glare. "You're right, Angel, it's not your place to say anything." Buffy then met her Watcher's gaze.
Giles nodded once, knowing without her even saying a word, what she was asking him to do. "We'll be in the living room." Giles said simply. He made a motion for Angel to head out first. "I'm not at all sure, but I think whatever you plan to do, you best do it quickly." With that, he left the room and closed the door.
When the door closed, Buffy made a move to speak, but Spike's sigh stopped her. "Buffy, there's nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind."
With a seriousness that even startled her, she started: "Spike, I trust that you'll only take what you need. You're not going to hurt me or the baby. I trust you Spike, you know that."
Spike was about to tell her that he still wouldn't do it, but Buffy hushed him with a kiss and when she pulled away, she whispered: "Baby, I'm not going to lose you, and that's not up to debate. It's happening whether you like it or not. Now, Alex will be down to see you. "
'Will? Tell Alex he can come in.' Buffy alerted Will upstairs as she met Spike's set look, with a look of her own.
When a knock was heard, Buffy stood up to open the door. She bent down and pulled Alex in her arms and took him to his dad. "Baby, listen, daddy is having trouble moving. But I don't want you to worry about it, okay?"
Alex nodded, and cautiously crawled up the bed, when Buffy let go of him.
Buffy left the room, leaving the door ajar. She thought of anything else that could be done. Asking a slayer in training, or Faith. but there was just no time. 'No, it has to be me' Buffy thought.
A minute later she went back into the room. "Alex, can you go to Auntie Willow and Grampa Giles for a bit?"
"Okay," Alex said. As he moved to leave he looked back at his dad.
Spike met his gaze. "I'll be fine, you'll see."
Alex nodded once, turned and walked out the room.
Buffy watched him leave and close the door.
"Buffy, I'm not…" Spike let his sentence float in the air as he took in her expression, an expression he saw many times, and exactly that many times he could not change her mind. It was a trait he loved, but at the moment he hated that she possessed such a quality.
When Buffy got to his side she sat next to him. She bent down to whisper in his ear, "I trust you baby, take what you need. We have to try. We'll be fine. That is more than I could say if you don't do this for me. For us. Now, let me see that beautiful face."